Soft-collar fastener



E. E. KEENAN.

SOFT COLLAR FASTENER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23. 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELLSVlTORTI-I E. KEENAN, OF .ATTLEBORO, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO ARTHUR F. DOLAN AND FREDERICK A. BULLOCK, BOTH 0F ATTLEBORO, MASSACHUSETTS, AND WILLIAM G. BENNETT, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

SOFTCOLLAR FASTENER.

, Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 5, 1920.

Application filed June 23, 1920. Serial No. 391,029.

To all to 7mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELLswoR'rH E. KEE- NAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Attleboro. in the county of Bristol, in the State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and and useful Improvement in Soft-Collar Fasteners, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to clasps or fasteners for connecting the front end portions of soft collars, my purpose being to provide an inexpensive and ornamental device by means of which the opposing end portions of soft collars, as commonly worn by both men and women, may be positively held in desired relation to each other. Heretofore it has been more or less common to utilize pins of the safety pin type for that purpose and, in some instances, frictionally acting clasps have been used which latter named devices are prone to pull away from the collar under any unusual strain, and the safety pins are objectionable because they perforate the collar. My present improved device combines all of the desirable features of both the frictionally acting clasp and the safety pins and positively overcomes the objectionable features which I have just mentioned.

The drawings annexed hereto illustrate my invention, Figure 1 being an edge or side view of a fastener of my improved construction and Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the plate a and in Fig. 4 I have shown, relatively enlarged, a longitudinal, sectional, view of one end portion of said fastener.

Briefly described, my invention consists of two fiat bar members made, preferably of spring metal and means for clamping said bars together at their mid portions, the end portions of one bar being bent back upon itself and the terminals being bent outwardly and suitably formed to enter certain openings in the companion bar, the construction of the device being such that, when the ends of the collar are inserted between the bars, the soft fabric will be not only clasped frictionally by the bars but will also be positively pressed into the said openings but without perforating the fabric.

In the drawings the letters a and b indicate the two bars which I have mentioned above, the bar a being the outer or exposed portion of the fastener when in use. These bars are reduced in width at their mid portions, as seen at 0, to receive a clamp plate or ferrule (Z, by means of which the two bars are firmly secured together. The bars are, preferably, curved to conform to the contour of the collar and the bar Z) is ex tended at its end somewhat beyond the ends of the bar a. Bar at is curved backward upon itself at its ends, as at e, and its extreme ends are bent outward at an angle to the main bar, as at f, and formed with dull points which register with and enter openings 9 formed in the bar 6 (see Fig. 4:).

When it is desired to use my described fastener the end portions of the two bars are sprung apart sufiiciently to receive therebetween the ends of the collar and, when released, the said bar ends return to their normal positions thereby clasping the soft textile fabric of the collar between the bar ends and, by the same action, the fabric is forced, by the dull points, into the holes 9 and are thus positively prevented from being accidentally pulled away from the fastener. When, however, it is desired to remove the fastener from the collar, it is only necessary to spring the ends of the bars apart when the fabric may be readily withdrawn from between said ends.

Having thus described my invention, I claim The improved fastener for collars, consisting of a pair of spring bars, means for securing the mid portion of said bars together; the end portions of one bar being provided with openings, and the end portions of the companion bar being bent back upon itself and formed with terminals adaptedto enter the said openings.

ELLSTVORTH E. KEENAN. 

